Ten-year-old schoolgirl’s stand against Donald Trump gains support

A 10-year-old schoolgirl from Great Oxendon, near Market Harborough, has gained support after challenging US President-elect Donald Trump over his views on climate change.

Henrietta Watson says she is “alarmed” that the American President-elect has said he would not honour the Paris climate change agreement, which aims to tackle global warming.

In a letter to Mr Trump, Henrietta says: “I am writing to you to speak up for the adults of the future...

“I have heard that you are expressing reluctance to honour the Paris treaty signed about the amount of CO2 released...

“Which president would you rather be remembered as? The President who destroyed the world or the President who saved the world? Keep the treaty.”

She has also started a petition on Change.org urging Mr Trump to act on CO2 emissions. So far she has had almost 200 signatures in a week.

One of the first people to sign was Moyra Logan MBE, the founder of the Aviation Environment Trust, closely followed by Ruth Valerio, the Churches and Theology Director of A Rocha, the Christian environmental charity.

Henrietta, who goes to Spratton Hall School in Northamptonshire, said: “I wrote the petition to stand up for the future of all the children of the world. I have 10 years behind me and probably 70 ahead, whereas Donald Trump is the other way round.

“If he was younger, perhaps he’d think more about the future and the long term impact of what he might do.”

Mr Trump looks set to become the only world leader who openly rejects fighting climate change.

His view so far is that man’s effect on climate is greatly exaggerated.

Henrietta, whose mum is a scientist and dad a vicar, told the Mail: “We should believe the scientists on global warming.